Tag: bible

At times the journey of faith can be very hard. Sometimes it’s hard for us to remember that each closed door has a reason.

Jesus closes doors in order to protect us from the things He knows we do not need. His hand is on you, always. Every test, every trial, every hurt, every disappointment- persevere because your breakthrough is closer than you think.

I was clearing out my hard drive and stumbled upon these two pictures. This was in 2016. I was buying my vision board to pin all of MY PLANS on it. Not once did I ask God … What plans do you have for me? How do you want to use me? Everything I went home and placed on this vision board was flesh-led instead of being spirit- led.

Back then I didn’t even think it was important to consult God before my plans. It was more of “well this is what I want so God will make it work out”. I had it all wrong.

The second I got baptized – the Holy Spirit led me to basically clear the board. EVERYTHING. I removed the year stamps on the goals eg. open my own private practice in 10 years… and placed it back on the board. This time around I trusted God with His plans and His timing – I watched my life change drastically.

I placed more bible verses to memorize, more declarations over my life and the goals became less flesh driven and more purpose – heaven driven.

My little testimony? I changed everything on that vision board February 27,2017. June 29, 2017 – I left a horrible work situation (a job god told me not to take in the first place) and was unemployed. In three short months, that “ten year practice” goal turned into an October 2017 reality.

It was only by the work of God – He opened those doors, aligned the right people, location, provided overwhelming family and friend support & the suppliers. God is truly amazing. I was mind blown at the end of the journey. I can’t wait to see what He does next. He is faithful. Trust His timing.

So the season of Lent is about to begin tomorrow. It marks approximately 40 days until Good Friday. We pay close attention and reflect on the crucifixion and resurrection of our Christ Jesus.

I know many of us are planning to embark on a spiritual led fast or a season of reflection and repentance.

Usually during this time, just like Jesus was – we are tested and when a test comes what is your natural response? Do you pray or give up all the faith you had?

As I prepared to write this week’s post, the Lord placed Luke 10:19 on my heart.

Luke 10: 19 NKJV says: “ Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you”

Did you just read what I did in that verse??? Jesus gives me authority?? Wow, how many times have I sold for cheap that God given authority?That is like selling my birthright! How many times during the test do I just throw my hands up and give up. “Lord this is too much, why me God! Why me?”

It got me thinking about the countless times I had given up before the end of a test. It took me back to my school days, there was no way I would be sitting an exam and just give up! I would work so hard towards that A+. Failing was not an option because I knew I had a goal to achieve. I knew I wanted that Dental degree and in order to get it – I had to graduate, and in order to graduate – I had to pass every single test.

WOW.

So why are we trying to skip spiritual warfare and test? Where is your faith in the middle of test/storms? I have been wasting so much time not speaking authority over each and every situation. My God- given authority.Jesus has given me the POWER.

Corinthians 10:13 says: “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God isfaithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

So, in addition to these trying times – God will never ask me or you to do something that He does not plan on providing a map for.

Therefore the question is – how do we manage the test? Do we take out His word (the Bible) to search and seek for the clues? Are we praying asking Him for His help and guidance? Are we seeking Godly council?

You see, I think a lot of times we forget who the test is for. We try to turn things around on God, forgetting He is the author and mastermind. During a test we must learn to call on Jesus, asking him for the power he already gave us! He can’t help us unless we invite Him to.

Does it rain or snow every single day? Doesn’t the sun eventually come out? We can’t go around mistaking bad weather for a bad season. The enemy wants to plant a permanent decision of giving up in your mind – in the moment when it gets hard. But we can’t go around making decisions based on how we are feeling! We must put our feelings aside and remember during each test that everything is already prepared for you.

Romans 8:18 says: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

God has His plans to reveal so let’s praise Him through every season.

Things of this world will always exist, but are they stronger than the power of our Lord and the power He has given to you?

I was recently asked to guest write a post on the Bible Reasons(check out the website and the IG: @biblereasons)

So when was asked, initially, in my head I was like me?!!! I think Fritz has the wrong girl. Sometimes I wonder if people even read my own blog much less. The Holy Spirit really convicted me with this because I pray daily for Him to use me. “Use me Lord according to your will and glory.” He reminded me of this prayer and also reminded me that this blog is not about me. Me writing – is not about me or my feelings, but about all of Him.

I recently started a new Bible study with the “She Reads Truth” app (FREE and it’s available on the iTunes and Google Play store) – “The Parables of Jesus”

Of course, the famous Parable of the Talents is one of the highlighted scriptures.

Matthew 25:14-30 NLT

“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip. “The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money. “After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’ “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’ “The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.’ “The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’ “Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’ “But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’ “Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

After the reading, there are a series of questions basically evaluating your understanding of the scripture and what the parable means to you. Most importantly, the main question always stands: What is the main lesson in this parable?

It got me thinking! Talk about conviction.

I thought deeply about the time I have been spending, how I have been spending it, where I have spending and who I have been spending it with. It also led me to ask myself: How much time do I spend wasting my time and talents by just sitting around waiting for something to happen or situations to change?

From my personal evaluation, here are a few points on what I have learned from this specific parable:

God helps those who help themselves.

This means we are literally a product of the work we put in. God gives us the resources and He expects us to use them wisely and to the best of our ability. Today, we live in a microwave society. We want everything to happen NOW … or God shows us a promise and we wait forever without putting in the work expecting life changes.
We should use our talents to glorify God – That’s why He gave them to us. Our time and talent are given to us to work towards God’s Kingdom AKA be good stewards. We work to serve Him. We work onto Him. We will be held accountable. We can’t be an unfaithful and lazy steward.

We have everything we already need.

As I said before God provides us with the resources and it’s up to us to seek and find them. How can we expect our talents to grow and prosper if we don’t put in the work?
Here’s an example of a routine: Seek God —>He reveals a promise —> He provides the resource —>
We get impatient —> The flesh wins —> We try to make things happen ourselves —> The original God-given resource fails because we are unfaithful with little (Luke 16:10)—> We run to God again —> He answers —> BUT THIS TIME we revisit the resource —> WE pray asking God to use us according to HIS will and how to use the resources He blessed us with —> Wait on God’s timing. I don’t know about you, but the first part of the routine is exhausting and time wasting! Isn’t it much easier to just seek God about the resources and to pray that we use them wisely according to His will? We can accomplish so much more through God’s handiwork.

Not everyone’s talent will be your talent. Stay in your talent lane!

I can’t say this enough – your journey, is your journey. Not Erica’s, not Johnny’s and not Tiffany’s. They simply won’t be able to do everything you can do and vice versa. Some things you’re going to be better at and that’s how we all work towards building the Kingdom of God.

V15 says: “He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip.”

Let that verse sink in. Did you get what I did? My understanding is that the master understood the division of portion. He knew that the servant with one talent was incapable of producing as much as the servant with the five. We all have different task in the kingdom of God. One body – different parts. Note how we have one brain but two kidneys? Or why we need a small and large intestine? One heart and two lungs? Every organ has its own function (our gifts and talents) but they all have to work together for ONE function – KEEP YOU ALIVE.

God has given me my gifts and talents and I will use them to the best of ability here on this earth so when I meet Him again, I will hear “well done”

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”

So for this anxiety problem I will prescribe the PTP drug. You must be wondering what that is! PTP stands for Pray, Think, Practice.

With this in mind I know that I must pray about everything with thanksgiving. It clearly states I must tell God what I need. The NKJV version says “…. let your request be made known to God” . So you mean I just have to tell God what I need? I thought He would have already known that. But let’s skip back on over to Matthew 7: 7-8 (NIV) :

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

You see, when we pray we must ask and it will be given. We must believe that wholeheartedly and give God thanks in advance understanding He will answer based on what He sees we need and when we need it.

So now that we understand the first P, let’s THINK.

In v8 it highlights that we should think on things that are true, honourable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and worthy of praise. How do we do this? We guard our hearts (Proverbs 4:23) While guarding your heart you will become mindful of the things you allow your eyes, ears and mind to receive – certain tv shows, music, internet, books, magazines. Some of these things represent solely the things of the world and nothing of God and His word. When we get anxious about something… what are the thoughts that consume your mind? You see it’s easy to slip into the ” I can’t” and the “this won’t ” forgetting whose you are, quickly putting limits on God. When you know what He is capable of doing in your life you know all these things that v8 said we should think on – should be thought about because these things reflect God. He will never leave us in a situation, stranded with no way out.

The final P, practice – we have to put into action these things. We change our thought process and we ask God to change our hearts to help us to fill this prescription. We actively guard our hearts, seek God and become more intentional about our praying. Be intentional about spending time with Him – listening to hear His voice.

Don’t ever let the enemy plant the seeds of anxiety of fear in your mind. Remember being anxious about nothing means you have truly accepted the truth that “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” II Timothy 1:7 NKJV

Speak fear and anxiety out. Pray about it! Think and Thank God! Practice His teachings and His word.

Are you too focused on your flaws? When you feel down about yourself, take a good look at your accomplishments – big and small – and you’ll realize there is so much to be proud of. All of your features are unique and beautiful in their own way. Love yourself. Love your accomplishments. Love your portion. You are fearfully and wonderfully made! You are beautiful my darling!